Nola Outduels Nolan in Phillies 1-0 Win Over Mets

Phillies 1 Mets 0 (Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA)

Mets record: 76-68

Mets streak: Lost 3

L10 4-6

WP - Aaron Nola (6-4)

LP - Nolan McLean (4-1)

S- Jhoan Duran (28)

Seat on the Korner: Aaron Nola

We select the star of the game and virtually invite him to a Seat on the Korner, just as Ralph Kiner used to do for his studio postgame show on WOR-channel 9 broadcasts in the early decades of the Mets.

Aaron Nola came into Monday night’s game with numbers that looked more like a pitcher fighting to hang onto a rotation spot than a former ace: a 6.78 ERA across 13 starts, an 8.38 ERA since returning from the minors, and 10 runs allowed in just his last two outings. But against the Mets, Nola turned back the clock and delivered one of his best starts of the season. He tossed six shutout innings, scattering just three hits while striking out seven and walking two. It was the kind of performance that not only steadied the Phillies at the start of a crucial series but also earned him the coveted Seat on the Korner—our nod to Ralph Kiner’s classic WOR postgame show tradition. Tonight, the honor goes to Nola, who reminded everyone he’s still capable of shutting down a dangerous lineup.

Need to Know

• Phillies now lead the NL East by 8 games. Mets chances of winning the division are fading fast and the Phillies can certainly make it close to impossible with a series win.

• Last time these two teams played the  Mets swept Philly at Citi Field, sparking a team meeting for the Phils.

• The Mets are in the final leg of a 10-game trip (3-4 so far: 2-1 vs. DET, 1-2 vs. CIN, 0-1 vs PHIL).

• Nolan McLean is the first pitcher in Mets history to win first four career starts.

  And the 2nd in MLB history (with Fernando Valenzuela, 1981) to start 4-0 with sub-1.50 ERA and 25+ K.

  
  

  

• Aaron Nola (PHI): 13 starts: 6.78 ERA, 5.05 FIP, 1.507 WHIP. He allowed 10 runs in last two starts (11 IP). His ERA since return from minors: 8.38 (4 starts).

  
  

  

• Injury Updates: Phillies: Trea Turner (hamstring) and Alec Bohm (shoulder) both on IL. Turner could be back before playoffs. Bohm expected to miss 10 days. Mets: Luis Torrens (bruised arm) to IL, Hayden Senger recalled. Tylor Megill shut down with arm tightness; MRI pending.

• Scoreboard watching: Padres two games ahead of Mets. Reds, Giants, D-backs all within 4.5 games. Padres vs. Reds and Giants vs. D-backs series this week will shape the Wild Card race. Keith Hernandez said it best: September is scoreboard watching month.

  
  

Turning Point

The pivotal moment of the night came in the top of the fifth inning. With Brett Baty reaching on a leadoff walk, the Mets looked poised to finally mount some pressure on Aaron Nola. But Cedric Mullins’ failed bunt attempt resulted in a pop-out, Francisco Lindor flied harmlessly to right, and Nola then picked off Baty at first base after a replay review overturned the original safe call. What could have been the Mets’ first real scoring opportunity instead turned into another empty frame, swinging momentum back to Nola and the Phillies.

Three Keys

Wasted Chances

The Mets actually put runners on in four of the first five innings, but each time came away empty-handed. Jeff McNeil’s single in the second went wasted after Francisco Alvarez struck out. Pete Alonso doubled in the third, only to be stranded when Brandon Nimmo went down looking. And the aforementioned fifth-inning pickoff of Baty erased what looked like their best chance to break through. Against a struggling pitcher like Nola, the Mets simply didn’t capitalize when the door was cracked open. Once the starters exited, the game became a battle of bullpens — and the Phillies won that fight too. Former Met David Robertson, Matt Strahm, and Jhoan Duran combined for three scoreless innings, with Duran locking down the ninth after a tense threat. The Mets got the tying and go-ahead runs on base in the ninth, but McNeil and Alvarez both struck out to end the rally. For a Phillies club that has had its own bullpen issues this year, the late-inning lockdown was just as critical as Nola’s gem.

McLean Holds His Own

Nolan McLean wasn’t overpowering like in his first four starts, but the rookie once again kept the Mets in the game. He allowed just one run on five hits over 5.1 innings and struck out four. His lone blemish came in the second inning, when Nick Castellanos delivered an RBI single. It also appeared that McLean was dealing with a broken nail that gave him issues throughout the outing. That being said, it says a lot about the kid that without his best stuff he still battled into the sixth inning and held a tough Phillies lineup to just one run — a performance that, on most nights, would have been enough to give the Mets a chance to win.

What the Hel.. Gotta Tip (pun intended) Your Hat to Ryan.

The Mets bullpen, which has been under the microscope all year, actually gave the team a chance on this night. Gregory Soto, Brooks Raley, and Ryan Helsley combined for 2.2 scoreless innings, keeping the deficit at just one run and buying time for the offense to wake up. The silver lining came from Helsley, who looked sharp in his lone inning of work ,perhaps no longer tipping his pitches— striking out two and flashing the kind of dominant stuff the Mets hope he can consistently bring down the stretch. While the offense wasted the effort, it was an encouraging sign that the relief corps held the line in a tight game.